Uttarakhand govt settles pay parity issue for UPNL staff hired till October 2024
The Uttarakhand government has agreed to extend the principle of “equal pay for equal work” to personnel engaged through the Uttarakhand Purva Sainik Kalyan Nigam Ltd. (UPNL), following directions from the Supreme Court. The decision was among 13 proposals approved by the state Cabinet at a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Thursday.
Briefing reporters after the meeting, Vanshidhar Tiwari, Additional Secretary to the Chief Minister and Director General of the Information and Public Relations Department, said the Cabinet approved a proposal to revise the eligibility cut-off date for UPNL personnel entitled to equal pay. The earlier cut-off date of November 12, 2018, has been replaced with October 15, 2024, in accordance with directions issued by the Supreme Court and subsequent proceedings before the Uttarakhand High Court.
The Cabinet also approved the promulgation of the Uttarakhand Prison (Amendment) Rules, 2026, in compliance with a Supreme Court order dated October 3, 2024. The amendment revises provisions relating to habitual offenders under the Uttarakhand Prison Rules, 2023. In addition, the Cabinet cleared the Uttarakhand Jailor Subordinate (Gazetted) Service Rules, 2026.
Among other decisions, the Cabinet approved a pilot project to improve cattle breeds through embryo transplantation to enhance the production of purebred animals and boost milk output. It also sanctioned state support for equine insurance during the Char Dham Yatra, with the government bearing 20 per cent of the insurance premium under the state sector.
The scheme is expected to cover around 15,000 registered horses and mules participating in the 2026 pilgrimage season. With each animal insured for Rs 70,000, the total premium outlay is estimated at Rs 5.25 crore, of which the state government will contribute Rs 1.05 crore.
The Cabinet further decided to provide a one-time relaxation to candidates claiming reservation under the 10 per cent horizontal quota for identified Uttarakhand statehood activists and their dependants. The relief applies to candidates who submitted the requisite reservation certificates after the application deadline but before document verification in three recruitment examinations conducted by the Uttarakhand Subordinate Service Selection Commission in 2024.
